Frequently, I find myself analyzing the ins and outs of the various roles in Eve, and the ships and fits required for those roles. When you start looking at about scouting, you have decide what kind of scout you're going to be, whether you're going to be a covops scout 5 jumps ahead of the fleet, or a frigate scout 2 jumps behind. Whether you're going to be in a skirmish role, actively looking for a fight, or a pure scout, passing intel to back to the fleet.

While back, I FC'd a roam out into null. We ended up taking on something a little too big, and I lost my ship. I turned over FC to another pilot and headed to the closest station to get myself into a little something more durable than a capsule, and since the pickings were slim, I bought a shuttle and started heading for home. About that time, the fleet decided to pack it in, so I ended up being on point as the fleet moved the dozen or so jumps back to high sec. You haven't truly lived until you're scouting your fleet safely home in a shuttle.

People make a big deal about the ship you use for scouting. Frigates, Interceptors, Assault Ships, Covert Ops Ships; people naturally assume that these are the right ships for the scout. They look at it from a point of cost, survivability and utility. But scouting is a role that is not ship dependent. The battlecruiser that jumps in on you with her fleet half a jump behind her, she's a scout just as much as that inty pilot three jumps ahead of the fleet.

Some of the things that make for a good scout are pretty simple: First, you have to have your client set up for you quickly get the maximum information as cleanly as possible. Second, you have to know how to scan a system quickly and efficiently, gathering intel. Third, you have to be able to identify ships and recognize threats. Fourth, you have to be able to quickly get your ship safe if you jump into hostiles. Fifth, you need to be able to pass information and recommendations to the fleet commander.

You'll notice that I didn't say anything about finding targets and tackling them. That's an advanced scout's role, what Agony Unleashed calls a 'skirmisher'. The primary purpose of the scout is not tackling: it's gathering intel and providing advanced warning so that the fleet does not jump blindly into a trap that results in loss of the fleet.

Sometime this year, after teaching dozens of classes, I did a double take and realized that the fundamental principles of Null Survival are also the fundamental principles of Scouting. It all starts when you jump blind into a system and start doing all of those things you need to do to keep your ship intact, gathering as much information as you can while getting your ship safe. If you can do all of that, and pass that information to the FC, you're Scouting.

Pretty cool, huh? It's kind of like waxing a car and discovering that you've been learning karate the whole time.

Fly Safe or Fly Dangerous, Just Don't Fly Stupid.Eve Killboard - East US TZIn the business of maintaining the high cost of implants since 2009.